Pattern wheel for knitting machines



Feb. 11, 1958 J. LIPSEY PATTERNlWX-IEEL FOR KNITTING MACHINES .Filed Deb. 50, 1955 u z; u

lllm INVENTOR. JAY LIPSEY ATTORNEY United StatesPatent O PATTERN WHEEL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Jay Lipsey, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Jay Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 30, 1955, Serial No. 556,669

2 Claims. (Cl. 66-40) My invention relates to a pattern wheel for knitting machines, and, more particularly relates to a jack type pattern Wheel used on circular knitting machines.

The usual type of jack pattern wheel contains a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots between which are inserted jacks for operatively engaging the butts of the needles to produce predetermined knitted patterns. The slots are an integral part of the wheel itself, and any damage caused to a slot wall either necessitates discarding the wheel entirely, or making repairs which are costly and entail considerable loss of time. Since the accurately machined slot walls in the pattern wheel are ordinarily directly subject to wear and damage as the needles pass through the slots, it is desirable to have the worn or damaged parts individually replaced rather than replacing or repairing the pattern wheel itself.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to construct a pattern wheel wherein any damaged or worn jacks or slots may be individually replaced with minimum loss of time and cost. I

Another object of my invention is to construct a pattern wheel whose knitting pattern can be arranged as desired.

Another object of my invention is to construct a pattern wheel wherein all elements which are subject to wear and damage are independently and replaceably mounted upon the wheel.

Another object of my invention is to provide a plurality of standard inserts for a pattern wheel which can be independently machined on the cast in great quantity.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efiicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my inven- I tion consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a knitting machine head which incorporates a pattern wheel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pattern wheel assembly.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing inserts set within grooves in the pattern wheel.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of the inserts set within the pattern wheel.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slot wall insert.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a jack insert.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, I show a pattern wheel, generally designated as A, mounted upon a knitting machine head, generally designated as B.

The pattern wheel A comprises a central male member A1 upon which is mounted a removable grooved ring A2,

the latter being designated as the female member. The

male member A1 is an integrally machined part having a' circular plate 12, a circular shoulder 14, and a concentric stub 16. A bore 18 extending through the male member A1 serves as a means for mounting the entire pattern wheel A to the shaft of the knitting machine head B.

It is in connection with the removable ring A2 that the major feature of my invention resides. The ring A2 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced grooves 20 each of which is adapted to contain either a slot wall insert 22 or a jack insert 24. It is to be noted that the grooves 20 are inclined, the inclination being comparable to the angular disposition of the pattern wheel A with respect to the linear displacement of the needles 26. That is, the path of the needles 26 is parallel to the grooves 20 within the mounted pattern wheel. It is to be further noted that the grooves 20 are not cut entirely through the ring A2, but a web 28 extending about the base of the ring acts as a chase for supporting the inserts 22 or 24. While the path of the needles is parallel to the grooves, the needles themselves do not engage or'extend through any portion of the ring A2, but pass about the periphery thereof at the position of the overhanging inserts 22 and 24.

The slot wall inserts 22 and the jack inserts 24 are made of hardened or spring steel so that they can withstand a certain amount of flexing and bending without failure or interfering with the operation of the pattern wheel itself. The slot wall insert 22 is of a thin construction adapted to interfit within the grooves 20 and has a hooked portion 30 which is adapted to overhang the periphery of the ring A2. The jack insert 24 is also of the same thickness as the slot wall insert and also is adapted to tightly interfit within the chase 20. However, the jack insert 24 has an uncinated portion 32 at one end which is of a thickness comparable to a slot. The uncinated portion 32 is also adapted to overhang the periphery of the ring A2, but by virtue of its thickness abuts an adjacent slot wall insert 22 and intrudes entirely upon the space through which the needles 26 ordinarily pass. Each of the inserts 22 or 24 can be secured into place by a forced fit within the grooves 20 or in any manner which will enable them to be removed should they become damaged.

Thus, it is easily seen that as the pattern wheel rotates, the needle butts (not shown) will pass through the slot or space created by the hooked portions 30 of two adjacent slot wall inserts 22. Whenever a jack insert 24 is placed in a groove 20 adjacent a slot wall insert 22, the needle butt will engage the uncinated portion 32 which intrudes upon the slot, thereby causing an upward movement of a needle 26 during the operative rotation of the pattern wheel. In this manner, designs are produced in accordance with the predetermined settings of the slot wall inserts 22 and the jack inserts 24.

Each ring A2 is provided with a cover plate 34 which is bolted upon the male member A1 by a plurality of machine screws 36. The cover plate 34 is recessed along its bottom surface to define a lip 38 about the cover plate periphery. The lip 38 overhangs the inserts 22 and 24 when they are set within their respective grooves 20 in the ring A2. It is to be observed that each insert has an upward projection at its rearmost portion which engages the lip 38 when the cover plate is bolted in position.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, the cover plate firmly holds the inserts in position and maintains the grooved ring A2 in place. The pattern wheel is set up by mounting the appropriate slot wall inserts 22 and jacks 24 within the grooves 20, thereby enabling the wheel to serve its operative condition in the usual way. Since only the slot wall inserts and the jack inserts are subject to wear and abrasion, should any particular insert become damaged, it may be replaced rapidly by another standard insert of the same type.

The foregoing specification refers to a two position pattern wheel and the jack insert uncinated portions are all of the same height. It is to be observed that a similar arrangement of removable slot wall and jack inserts may be utilized in the case of a three position pattern wheel. In the latter instance, the needles will be raised to an additional height by the employment of jack inserts having two different heights for their uncinated portion.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pattern wheel for a knitting machine comprising a disc having a peripheral recess extending about its upper face thereof, an annular ring interfitting with said recess and being detachably secured to said disc, the upper surface of said ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots radially extending to its outer peripheral edge, a plurality of removable slot wall inserts having an elongated thin shank with a downwardly extending hooked end, and a plurality of jack inserts of identical 4 plan configuration to said slot wall inserts'wherein a hooked portion downwardly extends from the end of an elongated thin shank, each of said jack inserts having a thickened uncinated portion adjacent the hooked end, said shank portions interfitting within said slots wherein adjacent slot wall inserts peripherally overhang said disc at their hooked end to define a slot through which needle butts may freely pass and the uncinated portion of said jack inserts abut an adjacent hooked end to define a jack for engaging said needle butts.

2. The pattern wheel of claim 1 wherein said jack inserts have uncinated portions of difierent height levels wherein the engaging needle butts may be elevated at respectively different levels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,925,449 Levin Sept. 5, 1933 2,008,810 Agulnek July 23, 1935 2,055,599 Agulnek Sept. 29, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 706,100 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1954 

